All That is Gold
by Xenophili
Summary: AU.'I loved poetry when I was alive. I would always sit up late at night in my dorm simply reading the books away, and my roommate would always get angry at me. Now, I can't help but think it's the reason why I'm laying here now, staring death down.'
1. My Story: Sit and Read With Me

I loved poetry when I was alive. I would always sit up late at night in my dorm simply reading the books away, and my roommate would always get angry at me. He loved his sleep. We were both into it though, and connected on some strange encoded level. But that's how poetry was, so we held no complaints.

Our difference was I would take poems into the classroom, usually the most controversial ones I could find. It always riled up the class. I could tell they loved and hated me for it. At least they stayed awake through the more boring lessons. I think that's what stopped the teachers from reprimanding me too hard.

I had also eventually caught the eye of a group of people who followed me and loved what I did. They began calling me 'King,' after a rather tragic event happened at the school. It was also a reference to a famous poem.

But I could also tell that there were a select few who _really _didn't like what I did. They were always making threats to me about 'ceasing these acts against God.' I just brushed them off, because I never let anyone or anything like that bother me.

And...as I lay here, contemplating them as I rest upon conscious and eternal sleep, I think that, maybe, their threats were a little more real than I let myself believe.

...

I remember a poem my roommate recited to me once.

I think it's kind of what led to this point. No doubt he'll blame himself later when he finds out. But it wasn't his fault. None of this was.

See, I'm a bit hard-headed when it comes to accepting the word 'no,' or being told to stop at all, for that matter. So when my buttons are pushed I simply push back harder, and I just keep going. In my opinion it's sort of what the poem's about.

It's called "All That is Gold Does Not Glitter," by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.

Yeah, weird name, I know.

Anyways, it goes like this:

'All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.'

Throughout my time knowing this poem, its meaning had changed many times. I just kept going back to it, kept referencing it, _using _it.

For the moment, I won't explain it, because then it'll just get confusing. I think I'll just lay here a bit longer and reminisce on my last year at Konoha's Academy for the Exceptionally Skilled.

It's not like I have anything better to do here, laying on my death bed.

"Oh Captain my captain!" a boy says with an exaggerated sigh as he dramatically swoons into the small room.

The only other occupant of the room sits at a desk by his bed. He turns around at hearing the interruption to his studies and eyes the newcomer wearily.

"Our fearful trip is done! The ship has weathered every rack! The prize we sought is won!" The boy by the door continues in, closing the door behind him. He flops down on the bed closest to the rooms' occupant, who rolls his eyes.

"_Our_ fearful trip? Naruto, the only thing you did was sit around eating ramen while I unloaded the car." He turns back to his desk as Naruto Uzumaki sits up from the bed. "And will you get off my bed?"

"You suck the fun out of everything, Sasuke _Uchiha_," Naruto taunts, ignoring the demand. He snorts a laugh and clambers up the bed more to see over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Watcha dooooin'?"

"Studying," was the short reply Naruto received.

"For what? Classes start in two days. You don't have anything to study."

Naruto frowns at his friends unresponsiveness. He sits up and moves his hands to the desk. He sees Sasuke tense and smirks. Just as Sasuke moves his hands out of the way, Naruto closes his text book with such force the sound resounds around the room for a moment.

Sasuke turns around to glare at him. "Are you trying to cripple me?" At Naruto's childish laugh he sighs and gets up, stretching.

"Are you done studying now?" Naruto asks a bit too eagerly.

"You have my book," Sasuke grunts out as he moves to his closet and begins picking through it. "I can't ever study when you're here."

"Good!" Naruto says, missing the annoyance hanging from his roommate's words. "Cause now we can go to the libraries!"

"Yeah, I know. That's the only reason you would ever dare stop me from studying," Sasuke says as he picks out a long-sleeved dark shirt to put on and a long dark coat. "So get ready. It's cold outside."

"On it!" Naruto jumps off the wrinkled bed and rushes over to his closet. He simply pulls out a deep orange jacket and puts it on over is black tank top and zips it up.

Sasuke, on the other hand, has layered up with a gray tank top under a long-sleeved black shirt and equally black coat. He raises an eyebrow at Naruto, then shakes his head. It wasn't up to him what the blonde-haired boy wore. They were both seventeen now, he was sure Naruto could dress himself.

"You ready?" he asks as he picks up his wallet and keys. Naruto's already slipping on some shoes.

"Yup! Let's go!" he says and bounds to the door, almost running into it.

All Sasuke can do is sigh and glance at the clock.

It was only two in the afternoon.

"Hey, hey," Naruto whispers to Sasuke. They're both sitting in the school's library in a study room. It's located on the seventh floor of the libraries' tower, made specifically for these rooms to exist.

Sasuke's sitting in a corner by the window, allowing the afternoon sun to warm his back. Naruto has just crawled over to him with a newly-found interest in a book he's holding. No doubt he wants to read a poem to Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto says to make sure he has the boy's undivided attention.

Sasuke glances from his book to Naruto, and the boy grins wide.

"Listen to this," Naruto says as he gets comfortable and sits next to Sasuke. He clears his throat.

'_The free bird leaps_

_on the back of the wind_

_and floats downstream_

_till the current ends_

_and dips his wings_

_in the orange sun rays_

_and dares to claim the sky.'_

As the first stanza goes by Sasuke closes his eyes to listen to Naruto's deep voice recite the poem they both know only too well.

"_But a bird that stalks_

_down his narrow cage_

_can seldom see through_

_his bars of rage_

_his wings are clipped and_

_his feet are tied_

_so he opens his throat to sing._

Sasuke can hear Naruto's voice gradually fill with emotions as the second stanza passes. This one is made with the feeling of someone being oppressed. Listening to Naruto recite the poem every time is like getting a new perspective on it. Every time Sasuke can find something new to think on. The poem continues.

_The caged bird sings_

_with fearful trill_

_of the things unknown_

_but longed for still_

_and his tune is heard_

_on the distant hill _

_for the caged bird_

_sings of freedom_

_The free bird thinks of another breeze_

_and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees_

_and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn_

_and he names the sky his own._

_But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams_

_his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream_

_his wings are clipped and his feet are tied_

_so he opens his throat to sing_

_The caged bird sings_

_with a fearful trill_

_of things unknown_

_but longed for still_

_and his tune is heard_

_on the distant hill_

_for the caged bird_

_sings of freedom__."_

Naruto finishes the poem and sighs into the books' pages. Sasuke opens his eyes and looks to him. He's smiling.

"I love this poem," Naruto grins happily as he flips through the slim book. Sasuke catches the name on the cover. It's a collection of all of Maya Angelou's poems, and the one Naruto had just read out was 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.'

Sasuke can't help but smirk. "She does indeed," he whispers to himself.

"You talkin' to yourself again, smarty?" Naruto jokes as he flips and stops on a page in his book.

"Oh, listen to this one, too!"

And Naruto goes on reciting poems. Sometimes he scuttles over to his mountain of books and drags some back over to Sasuke, since he refused to move from his spot by the window. Eventually they're surrounded by opened books. Naruto recites poems to Sasuke, old and new. Once in a while Sasuke will point out a specific poem he wants Naruto to read, and he even once reads one to Naruto. It's usually just Naruto reading them, though.

The sun has set behind them and the scattered pile of books has grown. Naruto stops in the middle of one of Edgar Allen's longer poems and looks to Sasuke. He smiles.

Sasuke has fallen asleep.

Naruto remembers when they were little how Sasuke used to have nightmares. He would be bawling in his bed and shivering and always whining about how cold it was even if the room wasn't actually cold.

Naruto usually freaked out when this happened, because he never knew what to do to calm him down. One night when the nightmare was extra bad and Sasuke was thrashing around and screaming Naruto had started screaming at him, too, not knowing what else to do. Only they weren't unintelligible gibberish things flying out of his mouth, but a poem. It was Sasuke's favorite one when he was little.

"_My friend is all of these!" _Naruto had screamed over Sasuke's tantrum. Naruto was trying to hold the boy in his arms. It wasn't working because Sasuke couldn't and wouldn't sit still enough for him to.

Naruto had started to get scared and began crying too, thinking there was something wrong with Sasuke. He hadn't known what else to do but yell and scream and cry as well.

However Sasuke hadn't heard him the first time, so Naruto yelled it again.

"_My friend is all of these," _he said, voice wavering.

"_Friendship is to trust!_

_Friendship is having the kindness to help!_

_Friendship is giving to others without thinking!_

_Friendship is being there when someone needs you!"_

Sasuke had stopped screaming and had wilted into simply whining and whimpering as he listened to Naruto scream the poem over his head, too afraid that if he stopped, Sasuke would start screaming again.

"_Friendship can be just a smile that brightens your day!_

_Friendship is giving more than you expect to receive!_

_Friendship is listening!_

_Friendship is offering your opinion when you think you need to!_

_Friendship can be many things!_

_Friendship is different for everyone!_

_Friendship could be holding a hand for support!_

_Friendship is lending your shoulder to cry on!"_

At this point Naruto was the only one still crying and screaming. Sasuke had calmed down enough to sit up and look at Naruto. His face was flushed and his eyes were closed. His arms hung loosely by his sides, useless.

Naruto tries to yell out the rest of the poem, but it only comes out as garbled words and sound. He can't remember the rest of it. The poem was too long for him to remember.

Sasuke grabs Naruto's cheeks and pushes them together, stopping him from spewing out anything else as he continues the poem for Naruto.

"_Friendship is mellow_

_Friendship is giving back_

_Friendship is only taking that what you need_

_Friendship can be that voice of reason you give_

_Friendship could also be a boost of encouragement when it's needed"_

Now Sasuke is the one who hugs Naruto to him and lets the boy cry into his shoulder.

"_Friendship stands the test of time_

_Friendship is shown in many different ways_

_Friendship can be everlasting_

_Friendship is not always an easy thing_

_Friendship is hard to break apart"_

Naruto hiccups as he joins in with him, knowing that if Sasuke can say the poem then he can remember the words that way. Eventually Sasuke's voice dies out, scratchy and overused as he allows Naruto to finish the poem, eventually falling asleep.

"_Friendship is strong_

_Friendship should never be taken for granted_

_Friendship is meant to be shared with all_

_Friendship is free and rewarding to share_

_Friendship can be unforgettable_

_Friendship is priceless to many_

_Friendship is a secret never to be told_

_Friendship is not having to say sorry but do_

_Friendship is not judging no matter what_

_Friendship is to share, the joy and the fear_

_Friendship is someone to run too when things are tough_

_Friendship is a hand to hold when things are so rough_

_Friendship is someone to laugh with not at you_

_Friendship is just knowing they are there_

_Friendship is very personal _

_Friendship is all of these things and many more_

_This is how I see friendship_

_To have a true Friend is the best thing to achieve_

_We all have one but it may take a very long time to find them._"

Back in the study room Naruto can't help but smile at the memory. It certainly hadn't taken them a long time to find each other. Sure they fought and disagreed a lot but...

A friend was a friend.

And on quiet afternoons like these was when Naruto remembered it the most.

**Let me know how this turned out. If you all like it, I'll continue uploading chapters ;)**


	2. Old Ties: Remember Me?

"I think I have a crick in my neck," Sasuke winces as he rubs at his shoulder a bit.  
>"Probably 'cause you fell asleep so funny," Naruto snickers at the boy next to him as he carries an armful of books back to their dorm. It's around nine in the evening as they walk the lonely pave in the middle of a grassy field. They just left the library and Naruto decided to check out as many books as possible before the term started the day after tomorrow.<br>Sasuke looks at them reproachfully.  
>"I understand your need to read," he starts as his eyes move to Naruto, "but don't make the room a mess. And don't keep me up late!" He glares a bit at Naruto at the end.<br>Naruto smiles at him. "I'll keep it to a minimum this year. Promise!"  
>Sasuke doesn't hold it to him.<br>"So what are you doing tomorrow?" Naruto asks Sasuke.  
>"Studying," Sasuke says immediately. Naruto deflates.<br>"Whaat?" He drags out his word a bit and Sasuke grimaces at the tone. He knows what's coming.  
>"<em>I wandered lonely as a cloud<em>

_That floats on high o'er vales and hills-"_

Sasuke sighs loudly, cutting off Naruto's woeful recital of 'Daffodils.'

"I suppose...I don't have anything to do tomorrow," he grumbles out.

Naruto grins.

"_And then my heart with pleasure fills,_

_And dances with the daffodils."_

Sasuke should have remembered that's how the poem ended.

"So? What did you plan to do tomorrow?" Sasuke says, thinking that it better be good if he has to waste a day of studying.

"The village book store!" Naruto pipes out. "It opens tomorrow and they said they had a lot of new stuff for this year!"

"Is your thought always only on books and poetry?" Sasuke asks. "You're going to go insane."

"Madness makes the mind, Sasuke," Naruto tilts his head and lowers his eyelids conspiratorially before bursting out in laughter at Sasuke's mortified face. Naruto had made that line up back in the sixth grade, and even now he sticks to it. Sasuke hadn't heard it in a while.

"Well we won't stay there long, for your sake," Naruto says as he eyes how Sasuke still rubs at his neck. "Bet you that still hurts tomorrow."

"I'm not betting on something I already know," Sasuke says.

They reach their dorm building and Sasuke slips his key card in the take the elevator up to the sixth and last floor, since climbing the stairs would have been murder for Naruto.

As they step out of the elevator Naruto starts up another conversation.

"So did you see anyone around campus while I was out today?"

Sasuke looks to him as he unlocks their dorm room and lets him enter with the books first.

"I hadn't left the room," he says. Naruto sets all his books down on Sasuke's bed - for no reason, since Naruto's was closer - and begins spreading them out, sorting them.

"You're a very anti-social person, you know that? You're lucky you have me as a friend, otherwise you'd be lonely."

"I'm beginning to weigh the pro's and con's," Sasuke mutters darkly as he feels he won't be sleeping for a while. Not that he would want to with his sore neck.

Naruto gasps a bit and looks hurt at this. "You're going to desert you're only friend? Even when knowing that you are also _my _only friend?"

He looks away from Sasuke and begins to whine some more, poem style. After the first line Sasuke rolls his eyes and joins in with him.

"_Remember me when I am gone away,_

_Gone far away into the silent land;_

_When you can no more hold me by the hand,_

_Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay._

_Remember me when no more day by day_

_You tell me of our future that you plann'd:_

_Only remember me; you understand_

_It will be late to counsel then or pray._

_Yet if you should forget me for a while_

_And afterwards remember, do not grieve:_

_For if the darkness and corruption leave_

_A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,_

_Better by far you should forget and smile_

_Than that you should remember and be sad."_

"Christina Rossetti?" Sasuke asks.

Naruto smiles. "The very same."

Sasuke just humphs. "I'm only wondering when this 'talk in poems' phase of yours will be over."

"Usually by the time schools starts it dimes itself down."

"You better hope, Naruto. You never know how our teachers will react this year," Sasuke says to Naruto as he moves over to his bed to pick up his deposited text book from earlier in the day.

While passing by Naruto he taps him on the head with it.

"Whatever, Sasuke," Naruto grumbles as he rubs at the top of his head.

"So," Sasuke sighs as he sits down and opens his book again. "What do you want to do about our dorm?"

Naruto sorts out more books as his head perks up a bit. "You mean you were actually thinking of trying to get a suite this year?" He turns around on Sasuke's bed to face his back. "Like, for really?"

"Well, yeah. I mean," Sasuke leans back in his chair and rubs a hand through his hair. "It's our last year in high school. We might as well enjoy it. Most of the top ten percent seniors have one and I hear they're really nice."

"So, you sent in the application already?" Naruto prompts.

Sasuke smirks. "Signed, sealed, and delivered."

Naruto grins wide at him. "And you're saying _I'm _going through a phase. You're the one reciting song lyrics!"

Sasuke turns to frown at him. "It's a very good song."

"It's a very _old _song!" Naruto jeers.

"Whatever," Sasuke snips as he turns back to his text book and finally picks up his pencil and readies his paper. "Lyrics are a form of poetry anyway, so it works."

Naruto scoffs. "Okay, Sasuke. Whatever floats your boat." He pauses to think. "Yeah, I guess I wouldn't mind moving to a bigger dorm for the year. It's just that this one was our room last year, and I got really attached to it."

He looks around the room remembering all of last year: How many people they had fit in it at one time before they had gotten caught, how full it had been during the weekends, how empty it had been during exams (Sasuke and Naruto had went and camped out in the library study tower), the time when they painted the walls into a rainbow and then had to spend a whole week repainting them and the inside of the gymnasium as punishment, and incited a riot right from their bedroom window about the use of hot plates inside the junior, sophomore, and freshmen dorms.

Sasuke seems to remember as well, since he smiles fondly out the window just above his desk. Street lights are on down below and he follows a few stragglers make it back to their dorms for lights out. Even though it's chilly outside the dew still sticks to the grass and covers the pavement.

He smiles.

"It was a good year," he says.

"Yeah," Naruto agrees. "It was."

Naruto began to wake the next morning around nine. Admittedly it isn't a peaceful wake, seeing as he did so by falling out of bed. Just a few minutes before, he was laying on Sasuke's bed, surrounded by open and scattered books along with Sasuke shoved into a corner of it. Tired of being cramped he rolls over and dislodges Naruto from his position, sending him rolling as well, only, there's no more bed.

So now rubbing at the shoulder he landed on he stands up. Looking over the bed he sees how Sasuke now takes up most of his bed and grumbles. Last night Naruto had been successful in stopping Sasuke from studying by telling him to help him with all his books. In the end he had began to open up books and reading out poetry. Sasuke had fallen asleep around midnight and Naruto decided to lay down at the foot of the bed as well, laying the opposite way of Sasuke's body. He had fallen asleep that way and during the night had wormed Sasuke into a corner so he could have most of the bed to spread out on. He thought it was funny then. Now he is paying the price.

Not wanting to suffer alone he picks up a small paper-back book and throws it at Sasuke's stomach. The boy jerks up and grunts. He turns his head to Naruto, who begins yawning and stretching.

"Why did you throw a book at me?" Sasuke grumbles as he picks up a bigger, harder book to throw in retaliation. Naruto dodges it, snickering.

"'Cause you kicked me off the bed," Naruto says.

"You shoved me in a corner. Besides, you have your own bed!" Sasuke says as he starts to shuffle books and himself off his bed.

"Your point?" Naruto raises and eyebrow and stretches some more, looking around the room. "This place is a mess."

"And you better clean it, or I'm not going to the village with you," Sasuke threatens as he stumbles on a book.

"I'm gonna clean it right now," Naruto almost stomps his foot like a child. "So stop blackmailing me."

"All right, I'm going to the showers then," Sasuke says as he walks to his closet and picks up a small basket filled with bathroom essentials and a change of clothes.

"Ok," Naruto says, and begins picking up books as Sasuke slips out the door.

When Sasuke comes back he sees Naruto standing in the middle of the room with a book in his hand and an arm up in salute. He's wearing a paper hat, and the books are only half put away. He's reciting a poem passionately.

"_Then I ran into a jungle swamp_

_But I forgot my guide_

_And I stepped into some quicksand,_

_And no matter how hard I tried-"_

"Naruto!" Sasuke yells, making Naruto look to him. He puts his arm down slowly and grins sheepishly. "What are you doing? I thought you were putting the books away."

"But, this poem!" Naruto says as he shoves the open book in Sasuke's face. "Don't you remember it? You love Shel!"

Sasuke grabs the book and pulls it away from his face to focus on the words on the page. It is indeed a poem by Shel Silverstein. He skims over it, and sighs.

"'True Story'? The one with the cowboy?"

"No!" Naruto exasperates." The one about risks in life! This kid is a hero!" He humphs and snatches the book back to stack it away. "Whatever, you don't remember."

Sasuke still stands there, basket in hand, staring at Naruto's back. Of course he remembers that poem from the time they were little, and tried to reenact everything the poem said the boy did. Of course, they had failed in epic proportions.

Suddenly Sasuke snorts out a laugh and moves to his closet to put his basket away. Naruto looks back to him and frowns.

"What's so funny?" he grumbles out.

"Go get in the shower," Sasuke says through his slightly amused tone. "I'll pick up the rest of the books."

"Stop laughing, Sasuke. It's creepy." After dodging the book thrown at him, Naruto picks up his basket in his closet and heads to the showers after depositing his paper hat on his unused and still made bed. He also had to double-back since he forgot a change of clothes.

On every floor of the dorm building are showers. They sit at the end of every hall next to the bathrooms. Naruto walks into the showers at the end of his hall and places his basket on a shelf in a shower stall. Someone is using the stall at the end, but Naruto pays no mind to them. At least, not until he steps out after a quick shower. They both ended their showers at the same time.

Naruto pulls back the curtain to his stall with his towel wrapped around his waist just as the other person does the same. They stop, and look at each other. Naruto breaks into a wide, demented and crazed grin while the other glares apprehensively.

"Neji! You got stuck in your dorm room from last year, too? How have you been?" Naruto says as his eyes narrow at the older boy. He steps further out of his stall and heads to the sinks accompanied by a long and wide mirror stretching the entire wall to place down his basket to brush his teeth.

"Are you gonna try for a suite this year? Of course you are, taking in _your_ background, huh?" He begins to brush his teeth while Neji stands, still protecting the entrance to his shower stall.

"Naruto," he grunts out in a monotone. His hair is long and straight, falling past his shoulders with a healthy shine to it. Naruto notes this with much mirth in his eyes as he takes in Neji's appearance through the mirror in front of him.

"Do you not remember I graduated last year? I no longer attend this school."

Neji moves from his post to stand by Naruto at the sink where Naruto has just noticed the pile of clothes and other items. Neji is missing the Academy-issued basket for the showers.

He picks up his pile and moves down the counter a full sink length away from where he used to be. This put more distance between him and Naruto, to which Naruto takes no offence, and only laughs internally.

Neji picks up a brush and begins to tend to his hair in the silence, only Naruto responds after a moment of brushing his teeth, and spits out the toothpaste to do so.

"Oh, right. I forgot," Naruto says. "So what are you doing here this year, then? Did you miss a credit for graduation?" Naruto taunts, and begins brushing his tongue.

Neji slams his brush down at Naruto's comment and picks up his hair dryer to plug into the wall in front of him. "Not quite," he says stiffly.

Naruto takes his brush out of his mouth. "Oh, so you're doing that 'Train For a Year' thing, huh?" Naruto rinses out his mouth.

"Indeed I am," Neji replies. He turns on his hair dryer, effectively drowning out anymore of Naruto's questions for him.

Naruto just shrugs and dresses right in front of the mirror. Neji sneers slightly at his crudeness while Naruto just waves goodbye to him.

He gets back to his shared dorm and opens the door. Inside everything is neat and put away and Sasuke is slipping on his coat from yesterday.

Naruto grins that same grin as he closes the door behind himself. Sasuke looks over to him and raises an eyebrow at the face he's making.

"Did...something happen?" he asks hesitantly. Does he really want to know?

"Guess who I just met in the shower," Naruto says vaguely, and Sasuke's other eyebrow raises, too.

"Your soul mate?" he answers.

Naruto snorts. "Hardly." He puts his basket away in the bottom of his closet and looks for some socks in his drawer. "It was Neji," and at the name Sasuke's eyebrows go in the opposite direction, frowning in confusion and scowling in annoyance.

"Neji? He graduated already. What's he doing here in the dorms?"

Naruto grins wider. "The Train For a Year program," he says as he turns back to Sasuke from his sock drawer. "I feel like this will be an interesting year."

"Naruto, don't," Sasuke begins, but doesn't know what else to say. "Don't...do anything you'll regret."

"Jeez, what do you think I'm gonna do, kill him? I'm not gonna hurt anyone, Sasuke! Just a bit of antagonizing, that's all."

"And do you remember what happened last year you did 'just a bit of antagonizing'?" Sasuke warns.

Naruto rolls his eyes. "His hair is _fine._ It's grown back all nice and healthy already."

"That's not the point I'm trying to make," Sasuke tries to emphasize. "Naruto, you almost got written up," he points this out, hoping that the gravity of the situation last year will damper Naruto's expenditures this year. But Naruto waves him off as he slips on his orange jacket.

"All in the past. Everything turned out find in the end." His shoes are slipped on and he grabs his wallet. "So let's go eat, and let bygones be bygones."

Sasuke looks at Naruto, and feels anxious suddenly. Naruto and Neji don't have a good past with each other, and ever since Naruto began attending the Academy back in the ninth grade they've been at each other's throats. As time passed and they grew older their rivalry grew more intense and, in Naruto's case, violent. Many times they have been on the verge of fist fights in the middle of classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, and once even in the dean's office. They've been in verbal wars that succeeded in spiking a school-wide interest, political campaigns that finally made voting in the school important, sports that brought about crowds from even outside of school grounds, just about _everything. _It was all because they held different views and beliefs that were deemed extremely controversial and couldn't be taught or discussed in classrooms due to their content. Naruto always took Neji's ridicule in stride with that crazed smile on his face as though these fights were they only thing he ever found mildly interesting, while Neji held a blank arrogance to himself that was sometimes spotted with annoyance that he could be overthrown by someone of Naruto's caliber. In Neji's eyes Naruto was a joke, because Neji is from a rich, prideful background, and Naruto is a person Neji's family didn't favor ever holding company with. Naruto is poor in that extent. Rich in attitude, personality, and intelligence, but an orphan.

"Let's just hope they stay that way," Sasuke whispers in response to Naruto's earlier comment, and locks the door behind the both of them.

Naruto smiles at him, more good-natured, and Sasuke lets his worry melt away for the time being.

**How was this chapter? Too short, too detailed, not detailed enough? Am I missing anything for you all? Let me know.**

**Questions about the poems used may be asked as well.**

**-Xenophili**


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